Chapter 4
“What is wrong with her?” Peter asked, as they waited for Yvette to pack her things. Armand waited with them in the front hall, although it was clear that he wasn't happy. He saw it in his best interest, though, to speak to his king about the child he had come to think of as his own.
“I will send her medical records with her,” he said. “Yvette has a malformation in her brain. It affects all systems of her body and has already done damage to her. Had her parents taken care of her, it might have been easier. But now, there are many complications before attempting a surgery that may or may not save her.”
“She will die?” Peter asked, emotionlessly.
“It's possible, yes,” Armand said. “There's a lot she needs on a daily basis.”
“We will give it to her,” Peter's word was law, and Alexander was glad to hear him speak with such authority again, even under such circumstances. “She will not be lonely on Umora. There has been an influx of Earth girls lately.”
“If you're referring to your sisters-in-law,” Alexander replied, “one of whom is your queen, I'm sure they don't appreciate it.”
“A carapace queen,” Peter said. “A dead king. Father would roll over in his grave.”
“Or return,” Alexander reminded him, and Peter fell silent.
Yvette soon returned in the hallway, a suitcase in her hand. She had been crying and seemed not comforted by Enya, who was trying to assure her it was fine.
“Yvette!” Thomas' voice snapped as he came barrelling through the hallway. Now that he knew the truth, Alexander could see the former warrior was moving slowly, his muscles not quite snapping to attention. Peter stepped between the two of them, putting an arm out. Thomas ran right into it, grunting.
“You may not want to recognize me as king, boy,” Peter growled. “I am not of your type. But Cole is, and he is my brother. Do you understand me?”
Thomas snarled, but he no longer possessed the strength to fight Peter. Peter stepped back, and Yvette froze. She was terrified, but she held her chin high.
“Do I have your word?” she asked softly. “That when this job is done, I can return?”
“You have our word,” Alexander substituted for Peter. “Please.”
He really hadn't wanted it to come to this. But with no other choice, he held open the door.
“Is he your boyfriend?” Enya asked Yvette, trying to distract her as they walked out the door. To get back to the transport point was a longer journey, as the next train was not an express. “Thomas?”
“Um…It's complicated,” Yvette replied. “He had someone, before he…died…and now that he's back, he's in limbo. But yes, we care for each other a great deal.”
“I know what complicated is like,” Enya replied. “Cole was jailed the first time we went home to Umora. It took a lot of work, but he is the better half of me, and I the better half of him.”
“I just want this to be over with,” Yvette said, softly. “I have not heard good things about what has been happening on Umora.”
“Even Earth becomes much more frightening when you know the truth,” Enya replied, as they got into the cab. “It will be alright. I promise.”
“Armand seems different,” Alexander said to Peter, as they slipped in to the large cab. “He seemed so nervous. I know that Thomas was a problem, but so was Cole.”
“Perhaps some are just not so patient,” Peter said. “Cole can be a handful. Have they altered his brain?”
“In a way,” Alexander replied. “It is a prison what they are doing to him. But a different kind of prison.”
“Keep an eye on the situation,” Peter said.
“You are very protective today,” Alexander replied, remembering how protective he was of Enya when they did the transfer. It was as if nothing but the small or fragile could break through Peter's black fog.
“We must protect those who cannot protect themselves,” Peter said, staring out the window. Alexander smiled softly.
“Yes,” he said, as the countryside began to go by. “We must.”
The ride seemed twice as long this time. Everyone was tired. The two girls were slumped up against each other on the window of the train, their eyes closed and their chests rising almost in sync. Alexander felt sorry for Yvette, but he knew they couldn't stop. The entire kingdom was at risk, and Peter had not responded to anything else. When it came to family–when it came to the kingdom–hard decisions had to be made.
When they made it to the transfer point, Peter took Yvette's suitcase, which was something he had never done for anyone. Kings and princes had servants to do things for them, and Peter had probably never carried a bag in his life. But here, he wordlessly took the suitcase as if he had pulled them all his life.
“Right.” Alexander had not thought about this until they reached the transfer point. There were four of them now, and the magic would have to be spread. Suddenly, he gasped.
“Alexander?” Peter asked, as his brother's hand clenched.
“The carapaces,” Alexander turned his head to the left and right. He couldn't see them, but he could feel them. “They are close.”
He had been drained so badly from them that any exposure en masse like this could be dangerous. He could no longer walk Earth's roads with Ariel, who was only a singular carapace, even if she was powerful. Dragons lived by magic, and they could drain him until he was dead. Peter straightened up, his eyes searching the horizon. It was dark now, and there were very few people around.
“I can transform,” he said.
“No,” Alexander snapped. “The last time you were here, you gathered too much attention. You were all over the news as a dragon.”
“What do I care what the humans think?” Peter snapped.
“If the carapaces get too close, they will reduce you back to human form,” Alexander said. “For we are descended from humans, after all. They will have more to drag from you if you are a dragon.”
Peter knew he was right, although he felt his heart rate rise. He longed to beat his wings, to express the emotions that had been building up all day. But instead, he took a deep breath and gathered the magic in his palms.
“Give me what you have, Alexander,” Peter said, taking his brother's hand.
“What do I do?” Yvette asked Enya, who turned her head in shock.
“That's right. You've never been to Umora, have you?”
“No,” Yvette replied. “Never. I've only heard stories. And to tell you the truth, I haven't heard good stories.”
“You will be amazed,” Enya assured her, taking her hand. “The princes are wonderful when you get to know them.”
“I don't want to get to know them,” Yvette kept her voice low, practically whispering in her ear. “I just want to go home.”
“You will,” Enya said. “Soon enough. Thank you for helping us.”
She took her hand, squeezing it, as Alexander reached for hers. Enya closed her eyes, and she felt the magic circle around her.
The ride was rough, and Enya felt like she might black out as they began to swirl.
Before she knew it, though, the ground was solid beneath her feet. She was sitting on the floor of the antechamber of the palace, and the rest of them were panting beside her.
“Hi.” Suddenly, Cole was in her face, smiling. “You look like you've been through the wringer.”
“Cole,” Enya smiled as he helped her up. “This is Yvette. Her boyfriend is Thomas Sparta. Like you, he's–”
“Thomas is alive? Cool.” Cole grinned. “I'd love to see him and rip his arm off again. All in good fun, of course.”
Yvette turned pale, and Enya elbowed Cole in the stomach as Alexander struggled up as well.
“Are you alright, brother?” Peter asked, and Alexander nodded, giving him a painful smile.
“Yes,” he said. “Just that traveling to Earth may not be my favorite hobby. Cole, can you show Yvette a room where she might rest? Perhaps near the med bay would be best?”
“Sure,” Cole seemed completely unfazed by what was happening, giving Yvette a smile. “Do you speak dragon?”
“A little,” she replied. “English…if you do?”
“I do.” Cole switched much more flawlessly than when he had first met Enya. “Come with me, ladies. This is the life.”
Alexander rolled his eyes as he watched him go. Cole would always be his kid brother. Peter was watching them go as well, but his eyes were focused on Yvette.
“What is the life expectancy of a human?” he asked. Alexander turned to him.
“A healthy one, 80 years?” he said. “Why?”
“But not that one?”
“No,” Alexander replied. “Probably not. Enya neither, although she'll do much better here than elsewhere.”
“And going to dragons for help,” Peter shook his head. “How has the kingdom come to this? Dragons on Earth, dead and not, shifters mixing. Everything is different.”
“It hasn't been easy,” Alexander said. “As I'm sure you are finding.”
“You did a good job, brother,” Peter put his hand on his brother's shoulder. “Don't think that you didn't.”
“Thank you,” Alexander said, hopeful. “And perhaps no more?”
“A little longer,” Peter said. “At least, I hope it's just a little. I will not take the throne, brother, if I feel I will put the kingdom in danger. The darkness in my mind, the world around me–it's not what I thought it would be. I hate to admit it, but I could not handle it when I…left. And I find it difficult to handle now, as embarrassing as it was. There is nothing worse than a kingdom, which is led into disaster by a king not in control”
“You don't believe you are in control?” Alexander asked.
“I can't see past today,” Peter admitted. “All I can see, all I long for, is the darkness of sleep. It is not as bad as when I first returned, but it is there. So, a little longer, brother, at least.”
“Right,” Alexander said, as Peter turned to go. Once alone in the antechamber, he ran a hand over his face. Wandering, he found himself in front of the throne in seconds. As a boy, he had played around the feet of his father and mother, never thinking that it might be his. It was never supposed to be, even in his wildest dreams.
When he did take it, it was with a heavy but hopeful heart. He would do the best he could until his time was up, one way or another. But he knew that he never belonged there.
“Alexander?” he felt Ariel before he heard her, and spun around, rearranging his facial features so he didn't betray his heart. “Are you alright?”
“I am,” he said. “Just lost in thought.”
“Less thinking,” she said. “More fun. Come on, you've had a long day.”
He smiled. “Mm. My dear, you always know the words to say.”
“I don't intend to say words,” she raised her eyebrows. “Just noise. Let's go.”
He didn't need to be told twice.